Diane Forsythe
South Down · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“The Schomberg Society and the staff and pupils of Kilkeel Primary School worked hard alongside the team from Blue Eagle Productions, especially director Rosie McClelland, to deliver a fantastic performance. We saw Northern Ireland's history, heritage and the pupils' great talent shining through.”
“<BR /> <BR />The production was an excellent way to mark that important historic event and for those P7 pupils to bring their time in primary school to a close. It was bittersweet for the year group, as one of their dear classmates was notably missing.”
“As we come to the end of another school term, I pay tribute to some excellent work at Kilkeel Primary School in my constituency, especially by the P7s. I declare an interest, as my son is one of them.”
“Mrs McCabe, the school principal, shared with the children the words of Proverbs chapter 17, verse 17 on how true friends love at all times — through the good times and the hardships of life. I thank Mrs McCabe for her leadership.”
“The Minister will not be surprised by my question on the delay of the accounts certification on SEUPB, as we are in June 2026, 18 months after the end of financial year 2024. Those accounts have still not been certified in both jurisdictions, and a full further financial year has since passed.”
“Minister, you say that you want to avoid unintended consequences for businesses and property owners, but those measures do nothing for existing long-term businesses that are struggling on, already occupy premises and cannot afford to invest in their properties, and there will be consequences for them.”
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“<BR /> <BR />In reality, I am not that surprised about what the Member said, because, in my constituency, with a Sinn Féin-dominated council, we are well used to being swept the crumbs off the table. Money is pumped into Irish festivals, signs and Irish funding streams, all of which are billed to our local ratepayers, whilst we are cast aside. That is how they treat our culture at a local level, and that is clear now to all in the Assembly. To Sinn Féin, our Ulster-Scots culture is just a vanity project; it is not real. That is the true face of the so-called party of equality and respect.”
“In the previous census in 2021, 190,000 people stated an affinity with the Ulster-Scots language. While Sinn Féin demands a £300 million GAA stadium in west Belfast, it cannot accept the pennies in comparison that go to marching bands or the Ulster-Scots community. In our South Down constituency, the Ulster-Scots community is thriving in spite of Sinn Féin. Our bands are outstanding and award-winning. The Schomberg Society in Mourne is incredible at organising cultural events and opportunities for our children and young people to learn Highland dancing, drum majoring and many other skills. People travel across the world to visit here and learn about our local Ulster-Scots culture and heritage.”
“I was incredibly disappointed to watch last week's Communities Committee meeting, especially when I heard my fellow South Down MLA Sinn Féin's Cathy Mason shamefully refer to the Minister's support for Ulster Scots and the marching bands community as "vanity projects". That is incredibly offensive, especially to those of us in the minority unionist community in South Down. The Member went on to lambast the Minister for not providing enough funding for the Irish language or the GAA and called him "sectarian". The mask truly slipped. To her, the Irish language and the GAA are legitimate, but Ulster Scots and Ulster-British identity and culture are simply deemed to be vanity projects. <BR /> <BR />There are 30,000 members of the marching bands community and over 700 bands in Northern Ireland.”
“Does the deputy First Minister agree that Treasury should not only fund Northern Ireland to its level of need but work alongside the Executive to ensure delivery of reform of the Civil Service to drive the efficiencies that are required?”
“Minister, I welcome the change in policy. Last Monday in the House, you accused Members who had raised legitimate concerns from businesses of not knowing what they were talking about. You said that you had the evidence for how you were right and how we were all wrong. In your statement today, however, you said that stopping the process allows for the evidence to be provided in order for a full examination of the issues to be undertaken. Why did you not make sure that you had that evidence before the list was published? Do you consider your comments last Monday about your evidence to have misled the House?”
“We owe it to them to deliver on a multi-year Budget that means something for them. Therefore, I hope that the Minister is in listening mode to all those who have fed back: our school-leaders, who have come together to highlight those points; and our businesses that have highlighted what it means to them. The Minister has shown that he can make a U-turn, but is he in listening mode when it comes to the Budget?”
“I am concerned that he has taken forward the numbers, as he appears to have done on Reval2026, and rolled out his draft multi-year Budget without listening to others. We need to take a perspective of the wider public services and what it will mean for education and the health service. When numbers are presented to our Ministers, they are right to challenge, and they are right to take account of what they will mean for individuals and businesses across Northern Ireland. I welcome the fact that the Minister appeared to be in listening mode on Reval2026, but, as we look to the multi-year Budget, we must consider that we owe more to the people of Northern Ireland. Our voluntary and community sector needs security in its contracts, and our people are looking for better public services across education and the health service.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker; I appreciate that. <BR /> <BR />We started out that way, last week, and then the Finance Committee took evidence. We respected the professionalism of the valuers. The point that I want to make is this: throughout the Civil Service, we have professionals who make academic recommendations in their professional field, be that as accountants or valuers, and they bring those forward to Ministers. Ministers and their advisers need to take stock, listen to wider society and assess any economic impact before they push forward with decisions. The Minister said that he was in listening mode, and we have seen a U-turn on Reval2026. <BR /> <BR />To that point, I hope that the Minister makes the same considerations on the multi-year Budget.”
“This day last week, I stood here to speak on Reval2026, details of which had broken over the previous weekend. I said that it was "ludicrous" and that it could have "catastrophic" consequences for our local economy. Last Monday afternoon, my colleague Phillip Brett brought a question for urgent oral answer to the House on the issue, and the Minister responded in what can only be described as a bullish manner. He told Members that nobody understood what they were talking about and —.”
“I hope that all Members can support our motion and commit themselves to working against human trafficking and adult services websites.”
“The effectiveness of the legislation is only as good as the enforcement, as was highlighted during the debate. I welcome the Minister's strong commitment in the field. I believe that she takes it seriously. We look forward to the APG inquiry and the Minister and Department's proactive responses to it. We will also continue to work closely with our MP colleagues. As the Minister highlighted, telecoms is a reserved matter, but this is a much wider cultural issue that needs to be addressed. We should be speaking up against this at every opportunity that we get. It is a horrific subject that many shy away from speaking about, but, as was said, it is happening in plain sight in Northern Ireland. Together, we need to stand against it.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister also spoke about her work with the Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner. It is good to hear that they have been working closely on this. She spoke about how the identification of victims is important and gave a lot of food for thought in that area. Her example of the woman in Hydebank not realising that she was a victim of trafficking was powerful, but, sadly, it is not an isolated incident. We know that these things are widespread. The Minister also talked about the need to be victim-centred and to rebuild victims' lives. We need to see a strong justice response. The Minister also spoke of the importance of the work of the PSNI. <BR /> <BR />In closing, Lord Morrow's legislation was passed in 2015 — just over a decade ago. It is right that we are looking at it closely today.”
“I welcome that very much and look forward to seeing what comes out of that as we look across to what others are doing and at what is working well. The Minister also spoke, as did other Members, about the need to keep everything here victim-centred. That is incredibly important; I was pleased to hear her say that. She spoke about how it is good that Northern Ireland has been included in some wider research. I welcome that. Again, I look forward to the details of that coming out. Hopefully, that can be captured in the all-party group's inquiry. The Minister also highlighted the Department's work on the three-year strategy, the framework and how the report on one year of the strategy is due out soon. That is good, because it will progress while the inquiry is ongoing. We look forward to those things coming together.”
“I thank the Member, but, unfortunately, he did not apologise for his comments about evangelical Christianity or members of my party. <BR /> <BR />In response to this important motion, the Justice Minister spoke strongly about her unwavering commitment to the prioritisation of work in this field, and she said that human trafficking websites are an affront to the values of society. She also spoke about the desperation and need of those who have made those choices. She spoke about her track record on moving things forward in a previous mandate, and she welcomed the new all-party group and the launch of its inquiry into adult services websites. We look forward to seeing what the outcome of that will be. The Minister also spoke about the ongoing work within her Department on engaging with other jurisdictions.”
“I am here as a proud DUP woman who has been elected to the House. I am an active voice on women's safety, and I chair the all-party group on domestic and sexual violence, at which I do not see his party represented too often.”
“<BR /> <BR />Timothy Gaston spoke about how dehumanising and degrading such websites are and how there is no place for them in Northern Ireland. He spoke about how the low levels of conviction and enforcement in Northern Ireland for purchasing sexual services do not inspire confidence and need to be improved. <BR /> <BR />Gerry Carroll said that prohibition might reduce demand but that we run the risk of driving trafficking underground. I thought that that was sensible, but he then went on to attack evangelical Christians and the DUP. The lack of respect for Christian women in Northern Ireland is quite offensive.”
“<BR /> <BR />Aoife Finnegan highlighted the need for compassion and talked about women's lives, safety, dignity and well-being. She spoke of the need to proceed with care to ensure that welfare and safety are at the heart of policy that is shaped by the lived experience of victims. <BR /> <BR />Brian Kingston highlighted the fact that modern technology has brought forward many good things, but that, unfortunately, it has facilitated crimes in different ways. He spoke of how women are not commodities for sale and every effort should be made to bring such websites to an end. <BR /> <BR />Robbie Butler spoke of how we need to be intentional in our response, alongside respecting the victims. He spoke about the need to look at the entire culture that surrounds the whole issue.”
“She mentioned the devastating stories of children who are reported missing from children's homes and often end up in the world of sexual exploitation. She also spoke about the need to strengthen regulation of the websites. <BR /> <BR />Paul Frew, Chair of the Justice Committee, spoke about the fact that he served in the Assembly with Lord Morrow in 2015 when his legislation was coming through the Assembly. He talked about the harrowing statistics and the story of Sarah. He said that abusers are often convicted but that the websites where the abuse was facilitated remain and profit to the tune of millions. He mentioned how wrong that is. He spoke about the demeaning and degrading comments on those platforms and the need to see more convictions where it really matters.”
“<BR /> <BR />Paula Bradshaw intervened to, rightly, highlight how our MPs raising the issue at Westminster is critical in our journey. <BR /> <BR />Patsy McGlone spoke about the need for the safety and welfare of victims to be at the fore. He said that research has shown that there is little evidence of removing the websites. He also said that we need a more efficient enforcement strategy. <BR /> <BR />Ciara Ferguson spoke about the victims of sexual exploitation and how they are often the most vulnerable in society and need to be our focus. She spoke about increasing awareness and working in partnership and highlighted the important work of the NSPCC and Barnardo's on child sexual exploitation.”
“She said that we need to have informed conversations with young men and young women. <BR /> <BR />Connie Egan is the vice chair of the all-party group, and I wish her well in that role. She spoke in support of the motion and talked about the under-reporting of such offences, as is the case with many sex offences. She talked about the items of work on the issue that are in the early stages of progression and her commitment to them. <BR /> <BR />Doug Beattie spoke about the importance of justice and protecting the most vulnerable in society. He spoke of masked individuals and how anonymity is used to exploit women. He gave the House some very real, powerful examples. He said that we do not see the full extent of the suffering of victims.”
“I speak in support of Women's Aid and other organisations that support those suffering at the coalface who perhaps never enter the justice system but who are very much victims. <BR /> <BR />In the debate, Peter Martin spoke about the launch of the new all-party group, and I congratulate him and others on that. It is a very welcome progression on this important subject. In opening the debate, he spoke about the fact that the websites profit from sexual exploitation. That was a simple comment, but it is, ultimately, what we are talking about today. I welcome the fact that everyone across the Chamber spoke with a united voice, because they recognise the reality and horrors of such websites. <BR /> <BR />Emma Sheerin said that the abuse of women is nothing new but that technology facilitates it.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank Peter Martin and other colleagues for tabling the motion. I also thank all Members who contributed to the debate and the Justice Minister for being here and for her contribution. <BR /> <BR />In my previous job with Belfast and Lisburn Women's Aid, I learned so much about the extent of trafficking in Northern Ireland. I really got my eyes opened. As the Justice Minister said, unless you are close to it, you think that a lot of it is about travelling distances and immigration, whereas a lot of it is happening in plain sight in Northern Ireland. Through my work, I know about the horror experienced by victims and the fear, shame and worry that they have about coming forward.”
“I thank the Minister for her ongoing commitment to road safety, and, as others have done, I welcome any measures to help reduce loss of life on the roads. Those representing a rural constituency such as mine have seen too much of that over the years. <BR /> <BR />Minister, given the lack of opportunity for scrutiny, I will ask you a bit about the detail of the restriction on night-time driving for under-24s. Has any appraisal been carried out of the economic impact of that? A lot of young people work in the hospitality sector or as nurses or volunteer, for example, with the RNLI. What would not enabling them to be on the roads overnight mean for them?”
“It notes concerns about the reliability of data and highlights a failure to see action on previous recommendations. Surely, with proper workforce planning, those costs can be driven down. John O'Dowd needs to take action to deliver efficiency. The question is this: is he really in listening mode?”
“<BR /> <BR />We see a greater reliance on temporary staffing solutions in the Civil Service, with nearly 5,000 agency workers employed in 2025, more than double the number recorded in 2019. What has John O'Dowd done to tackle the soaring cost of agency staff? It sits now at over half a billion pounds. What has the Finance Minister done to tackle sick leave in the Civil Service? It cost £48·8 million in 2024-25 and has been steadily increasing, with an average of 13·4 staff days lost in 2024-25 compared with 12·6 in 2018-19. The Civil Service declared nearly 5,500 vacant posts on 31 March 2025. In addition, over 3,000 staff were temporarily promoted, which represents 13% of the workforce. <BR /> <BR />The report has found a lack of progress in key strategic areas.”
“Where is the ambition from the Minister to wage war on the waste in government? <BR /> <BR />When publishing his multi-year Budget plans, the Minister said that he was in listening mode. I hope that he is listening to the Comptroller and Auditor General and the report, which clearly identifies areas in which he has failed to act. The report follows up the 2020 Audit Office report 'Capacity and Capability in the Northern Ireland Civil Service' and a subsequent report by the Public Accounts Committee. Five years have passed, and only five of the 23 recommendations made by the Audit Office in 2020 have been achieved, while just five of the 12 PAC recommendations have been delivered. The same issues are still being reported; in many cases, they are worse.”
“Today, we have seen the publication of the Northern Ireland Audit Office report 'Leading and Resourcing the Northern Ireland Civil Service', and it is damning. We speak a lot here about the pressures that public services and finances are under, and I consistently highlight the need to deliver efficiencies and manage services better through transformation. Many hard-working individuals contribute substantially to the Northern Ireland Civil Service daily, but, with more than 24,500 staff, they and the structures need to be managed and coordinated better. With millions of pounds invested in shared services, the management of Northern Ireland Civil Service staffing and HR lies with the Minister of Finance, John O'Dowd, and today's Audit Office report sets out clearly his failings to take action and get a grip on the situation.”
“Absolutely, I agree with the Member. That is reflected in my experience: you are re-traumatised through the process. <BR /> <BR />As Cara said, the process and the whole justice system need to be reviewed. Groups on the ground, such as Nexus, Women's Aid and others, provide invaluable support. Often women go to them when they do not even go to the police. We must always remember the victims: keep them at the heart of things, provide them with support and do all that we can to support them, change attitudes and make a difference.”
“We know about the technology that is out there, and we know that it is lies: do not ever think that people will think that that is you or that they will blame you. However, it is very worrying. Many of us are parents. This is the modern world. As Kate said, people were frightened of rock and roll, but this terrifies me. Recently, at conferences run by groups like Nexus, I have seen images of children and been shown what can be done with them on screen. It is absolutely horrifying. <BR /> <BR />In the Assembly, we have an opportunity and must do all that we can. We are talking about real women in Northern Ireland: victims in our society at every level. It is me, us, our —.”
“Thank you. I thank the Member for his intervention and completely agree with him. I would not lie to anyone: this is what you are faced with as a woman when you enter this career. All we can do is support one another and call it out, and you can see that across the Chamber. As I said, the Minister is also vocal on the issue. A campaign through the centre of society is committed to in our Programme for Government in order to change attitudes and end violence against women and girls. <BR /> <BR />Like others, I am a mother. I have teenage girls. I often say to them, "Please keep conversations open. Tell me anything that happens to you or your friends". I am a safe space, even if other people do not want to tell their parents. I tell them to please tell their teachers, that nobody will blame them and that we will do all that we can.”
“It is therefore no surprise that women stay out of the public eye, but my concern is about the increased misogyny online.”
“Having to do that humiliates victims even further. There was nothing that those police officers could do. They could not trace the source of the video, yet it was circulated to thousands at pace. People were messaging me from far and wide, including from Canada and Switzerland. <BR /> <BR />Deepfakes are a horrific, misogynistic tool to attack women, to degrade us and to try to drive us out of public life. In my role, there is not a week that goes by where I am not sent degrading, offensive and aggressive messages and comments online. If I post mundane information about a pothole or bin collections, the messages and attacks that I get are horrific. Many male colleagues do not believe it until they see it when they tag or share posts of mine. The experience of my colleague Carla Lockhart testifies to that often.”
“As I said, in 2022, at the end of a difficult and prolonged hate campaign against me in the run-up to the Assembly election, a fake pornographic video was created that implied that it was me and was put into mass circulation. My experience was difficult. I had three young children at home, and I had to ring my dad and my elderly grandads to tell them what was going on. It was humiliating even to have those conversations. Then, when I reported it to the police, my experience was that two young male police officers came to my home. They met me alone in my living room, where I played a copy of the video for them to record it on their body cams. Even that was humiliating. It was not me, but it was being portrayed to be me. In that room, that process was incredibly uncomfortable, and I fed that back to the police.”
“Its analysis also showed a 550% rise in deepfake pornographic videos since 2019. Those are horrific numbers. It is part of the wider problem that we have in society of violence against women and girls, with AI a new tool in those attacks. As chair of the all-party group on domestic and sexual violence, I want to ensure that our approach and our language today is victim-centred. The victims of any type of violence, including online violence against women and girls, should be at the forefront of our minds. <BR /> <BR />As a woman in politics, I am, sadly, regularly a victim of this. I hate to be accused of playing the victim or to give perpetrators satisfaction by letting them know when they have got to me, so I do not often speak out. I am a victim, however, and I am using my voice here today.”
“I thank the Members who tabled the motion. Cara and I, in the 2022 election, were both targeted in that way. We did not know each other. She was running in East Londonderry for the SDLP, while I was running in South Down for the DUP. On the face of it, we did not have too much in common, but what we had in common was that we were females in politics, and that was the focus of the attacks. The Minister was active in her response to that election, which was horrific for women in politics, and I commend her for that. <BR /> <BR />Online violence is unacceptable for anyone and has been proven to be predominantly directed at women. A 2023 survey by the online security adviser Security Hero assessed all deepfake videos online, with 98% shown to be pornographic, of which 99% were of women.”
“Minister, the hospitality sector was shut down during COVID and has struggled to get back on its feet. It was hit hard by the increases in employers' National Insurance. It is vital to our tourism industry, and it has now been hit with rates increases. Is there a realistic prospect of hospitality businesses being able to increase their revenues to the level of the rates increases before the new bills take effect on 1 April 2026?”
“Does the Minister feel that it is appropriate for a commissioner to express an opinion on the views of DUP voters and, indeed, his constituents?”
“Minister, I know that you are acutely aware of how many of our voluntary and community sector organisations have been impacted. You have worked closely with me, chair of the all-party group on the voluntary and community sector, on that. Just last Wednesday, hundreds of people stood out on the steps of this Building campaigning on that very issue. <BR /> <BR />Why has the decision been taken to make the local growth fund a primarily capital fund? Were you shocked, as I was, to see no reference to the voluntary and community sector in Sinn Féin's three-year Budget proposals?”
“The DUP is and always has been committed to growing Northern Ireland's economy. Our continued priority is to make Northern Ireland the best that it can be.”
“That must remain the primary context for interpreting labour market and mobility statistics. Will parties in the Chamber show the same level of endeavour when it comes to comparing Northern Ireland data with that of other UK regions, particularly data on our interconnectedness socially and economically? Why would we want to obscure an understanding of Northern Ireland's specific needs and circumstances within the UK or the enormous contribution that the NHS and other UK-funded services make to the lives of our citizens by blending our data with that of the Irish Republic? <BR /> <BR />The Sinn Féin Economy Minister has stated that her priority is to protect the all-island economy, yet her responsibility should be to champion the interests of Northern Ireland's economy and its businesses above all else.”
“The ESRI report itself highlights the fact that Northern Ireland and the Republic "differ in important structural respects", with the two countries having separate legal systems, social security systems, education systems and monetary systems. Although the two economies may neighbour each other, they are very distinctive. Notably, there are separate currencies and different tax regimes. The differences are clear to all observers. Northern Ireland is in union with the rest of the United Kingdom, whereas the Republic of Ireland is a separate state and fully part of the European Union. <BR /> <BR />We do not fear the report or accurate data. We believe, however, that time and effort would be better spent on focusing on the UK internal market. Our economic prosperity is clearly overwhelmingly linked to our links to the UK internal market.”
“Hundreds of millions of pounds are being spent through many of our services here, with no tracking of data on how that affects health outcomes or our economy. We need to get better data and use it across the board in Northern Ireland. That applies even at the heart of our Budget system. You were at the same event as me last week, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, at which the Northern Ireland Women's Budget Group highlighted how we can look at our gender budgeting and at the well-being framework underpinning our Programme for Government. Better use of data is needed for all of that. <BR /> <BR />Crucial to the understanding of the economic and social conditions on the island is the need for us to understand the reality that we have two very distinct jurisdictions with two distinct economies.”
“While some play party politics, real data is at the heart of the issue. <BR /> <BR />Data is critical in analysis, and, as an accountant — a number cruncher — I believe in the value of good data in assessing value for money, assessing our economy and making good use of information. It is well known that, in Northern Ireland, data is not adequately gathered, assessed, published or verified across a number of fields. We need to focus on getting our own house in order rather than on looking beyond here. <BR /> <BR />The Assembly's focus should be on Northern Ireland. Last year, when the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee met representatives of the Finance Committee, it highlighted that point about our data. We on the Public Accounts Committee see that all the time.”
“Whilst we know that Sinn Féin does not want to see Northern Ireland succeeding, is that the case at any cost, including closing businesses, making workers unemployed and crippling our local economy? I will be clear on this: the DUP stands firmly with our local businesses. We will fight on their behalf against this catastrophic action by Sinn Féin.”
“<BR /> <BR />For weeks at the Finance Committee, I have been asking what Reval2026 will mean for businesses, whether they have they been warned and what the impact will be, only to face continued feedback that it will not make a huge difference. Here we are, however; the reality is stark. The revaluation will cost jobs, livelihoods and well-established businesses across our cities and towns. That is before the Finance Minister's planned 3% increase in business rates in each of the next three financial years, as per his multi-year Budget proposals, and the local council rates hikes. That is absolutely unacceptable, and it has been handled so badly. <BR /> <BR />The Finance Minister must reflect on what he has issued here. The Sinn Féin Finance and Economy Ministers must not ignore pleas from local businesses.”
“In the real world, however, that is ludicrous. Property valuations are used by LPS to multiply the rates factor in order to generate rates bills for every property owner and business owner. The increased valuations mean increased rates bills. Every business owner across the country has recalculated their rates bills based on the new valuations that were issued last week. The new bills will be crippling for so many. Hotels face a hike in their rates bills of 85%, and the bills for pubs will increase by 57%. Hospitality Ulster has said that that may be the final nail in the hospitality industry's coffin.”
“<BR /> <BR />There appears to have been no appraisal of the economic consequences of the revaluation. The statement on the Department of Finance's website says that the revaluation is "revenue neutral" and:”
“On Thursday past, businesses across Northern Ireland received notifications from Land and Property Services (LPS) of revaluations of their business premises as a result of Reval2026. We all know that property valuations have increased, and most businesses expected it. What those businesses received, however, was outrageous, and the situation has been handled so badly. <BR /> <BR />Let me be clear: Reval2026 was not issued by the Executive. It was not voted for in the Assembly. The revaluation exercise was completed by LPS and was issued under the direction of John O'Dowd, the Sinn Fein Finance Minister. The catastrophic, unbuffered impact on local businesses seems to have been of no concern to the Sinn Féin Ministers in either Economy or Finance.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Sinn Féin Members have made much of the issue's being trivial and not related to the people whom we represent. Does the Member agree that planning enforcement matters very much to people? In my area, the Newry, Mourne and Down planning enforcement team comes down on small businesses for their signage or a misplaced coffee cart. It comes down hard and shuts down businesses. It is important for those businesses to see the hypocrisy in a Sinn Féin-dominated council area.”
“People are afraid to speak up because of how Jennifer has been treated. Oppression and expression is not consistent with either biological fact or freedom of speech. Jennifer has done nothing wrong. <BR /> <BR />We will not stay silent. We stand with Jennifer and with others who find themselves in that position. We think of her. We also think of the Darlington nurses. There is a clear pattern. It must be challenged now. It is time to fight back. It is also time for our Health Minister to show leadership, stand up for NHS staff and put fairness, biological reality and freedom of expression ahead of ideology. Power should not be abused at any level to promote woke ideas to the detriment of our health service.”